One of the things I really love about reading (or watching movies, or really any kind of entertainment) is that we can have such differing opinions on things. There are messages and themes, highs and lows, favourites and most hated... and we've all read (or watched) the same thing!
Sometimes though, it's almost more interesting to see what books you didn't like more so than the ones you liked.
And thus, the Unpopular Opinions Book Tag. (Created by TheBookArcher)
Now listen, we'll probably feel differently about some (or a lot!) of these. And that's okay. This is in no way a personal attack trying to bash anyone. This is just my opinion.
So, let's get started!
1. A popular book or series that you didn't like
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. Yeah, that's right, we're going to start off strong.Listen, I rated this book three stars when I first read it--which is "I liked it". But the more I think about it and the more I listen to people talk about it, the more my dislike grows. Wade was an unlikeable, self-insert, circle jerky everyman and everything in the book would've been 1000% better if it had been Art3mis' or Aech's story. There was like fifteen seconds where Cline tried to talk about sex and gender and race and the way you represent yourself which was super interesting and then it was just over.
I am going to admit to a teeny bit of malicious joy when I see people being disappointed in Armada for many of the same reasons.
2. A popular book or series that everyone else seems to hate but you love
I don't really think I have anything that works for this? Though, I guess I have seen some unfavourable opinions of A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas--and I did enjoy it. But there's nothing else really polarizing that I can think of.
3. A love triangle where the main character ended up with the person you did NOT want them to end up with OR an OTP that you don't like
I'm usually pretty good about predicting how love triangles are going to resolve, so I don't get unnecessarily attached to the "wrong" person. But I can't really think of a true love triangle that I had really strong feelings for either way.Except. I know it's never going to happen. But I really want a threesome between Harper, David and Ryan from Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins. Most love triangles should be solved with threesomes, but alas I read YA.
If we're talking OTPs I don't like, I don't really understand the obsession with Alina and The Darkling from Leigh Bardugo's Grisha trilogy. Like, okay, I get it in book one. But after that? I have a lot of complicated feelings about Ruin and Rising, but the way the romance plotlines got wrapped up was not particularly surprising.
4. A popular book genre that you hardly reach for
Straight up contemporary and/or literary fiction. I'm just generally not interested. I like my fiction to be more escapist. Give me sci-fi and fantasy any day of the week.
5. A popular or beloved character that you do not like
Everybody says Snape, am I allowed to say Snape too?
Listen, I was really confused for a while, because I really loved Alan Rickman's portrayal of Snape, but I kept getting that mixed up with actually liking Snape.Also, full disclosure, I rage quit the Harry Potter series after Order of the Phoenix because no. So I haven't actually read the last two books. But I know what goes down. And I'm going to sit in my corner and read Harry/Draco fic and not be sad about it.
(I really thought about using HP as an answer for #1, but decided against it because I don't want to get lynched. I have a lot of complicated feelings about all this, but that's definitely a post on its own if anyone's interested.)
6. A popular author that you can't seem to get into
A.S. King. I've read two of her books and just been mostly underwhelmed. I keep hearing great things and am meaning to give a few more of her books a good honest try, but they're not really high on the priority list.
7. A popular book trope that you're tired of seeing
Fewer unnecessary love triangles, more threesomes?
I mean.
No, but really, I am so super tired of insta-love. Maybe I just have unrealistically high expectations because of fanfiction, but I need my mutual pining and slow burn. Please please please, let me get what I want.
8. A popular series that you have no interest in reading
Anything by Cassandra Clare, truthfully. If I was twelve, maybe I'd be interested in The Mortal Instruments, but I just have no desire to get involved in that.
9. The saying goes "the book is always better than the movie", but what movie or T.V. show adaptation do you prefer more than the book?
Stardust. Which is based on the Neil Gaiman book. But I saw the movie first and it is one of my favourite movies of all time. I read the book after, because I was so in love, but it just wasn't as charming as the movie. And I found out that Captain Shakespeare was invented for the movie and I just. That is unacceptable.I mean, I like Gaiman's writing, but it's definitely a lot darker than the way Stardust the movie set itself up.
I feel like this tends to happen to me if I see the movie before reading the book, but only sometimes.
And there you have it! The Unpopular Opinions Book Tag! Feel free to give this a go if you want, it's super fun!
Any unpopular opinions to share? What did you think of my answers? Let's chat in the comments!
